Pubdate: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2009 Randall Family, LLC. Contact: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/814 Author: Howard J Wooldridge Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n151.a05.html GOING AFTER POT WASTES COPS' TIME As a retired police detective, I heartily agree with Katherine Heerbrandt's Feb. 9 column, "Smoke signals." During my 18 years of service, I was sent to zero calls generated by the use of marijuana. Its prohibition caused several shootings, as dealers shot other dealers for the money and the green stuff. I never handled a call where a beer distributor had a gunfight with a whiskey salesman. The only aspect that was not mentioned was the tremendous reduction in public safety. As officers and deputies in Frederick spend thousands of hours finding and arresting for marijuana, they have less time for the deadly DUI, child predators and other public safety threats. If you have a drug problem one day, see a doctor. The police have much more important tasks. Howard J Wooldridge Frederick - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin